c u on top - satyabrata dam

2015 was an exceptional year for several reasons; never before did I usher in a year doing tango in Buenos Aires at one of the most extravagant Tango shows in the world; which I precisely did on the midnight suspended into that twilight zone between 2014 and 15. How or why did I find myself in such resplendent and uncharacteristic surroundings are a tale best told elsewhere but for now let’s zoom into the stats. Countries visited – 12 spread across four continents Countries visited for the first time – 3 (Guatemala, Honduras, Macedonia) taking now my countries tally to 168 Southernmost point visited – Ushuaia in Argentina Northernmost point visited – high Tatras Slovakia Climbed the highest peaks of Central America After a very long time, an entire year went by without climbing above 7000m, which was duly compensated by several high points of different countries and tons of winter climbing across lesser ranges of Europe. This was a relatively sane and accide...

To love without reason To flourish without season To learn without lesson To own without possession To know without being told To be young when old To risk and be bold To cherish and behold To show that we care To challenge and to dare To smile in despair To let go and share To know when it is time To pause in our climb To life when it is run To die with utmost fun

There are many symbols of love in this picture and of course the way is Love When love is the way One day I will find my way To you No matter who you are No matter where you stay One day I will find my way To you No matter to you I am unknown No matter how much wind has blown One day I will find my way To you No matter where you hide No matter how far you ride One day I will find my way To you No matter how long it takes No matter my heart how much it breaks One day I will find my way To you No matter if I cry No matter if I die One day I will find my way To you No matter if I be the last No matter if you are my past One day I will find my way To you No matter what you are No matter how you are One day I will find my way To you No matter if I go blind No matter if you treat me unkind One day I will find my way To you No matter how long is the way No matter how much I sway When Love is my way I will never lose ...

Whatever I learnt in life the mountains taught me how; so is about love. The following lessons of love I learnt are invaluable and I have tried to apply them in matters of heart. How far have I succeeded can only be confirmed by the women I have had the privilege of being loved. I have used the word mountain as a synonym to love. Read on and apply, and let love happen.   Mountains are much farther than they appear to the eye. Be patient, keep going and you will reach A mountain can be viewed in totality only from far. Sometimes distance is necessary There is no pot of gold on the top of a mountain but the climb is full of priceless treasures, cherish and enjoy the climb A mountain no matter how big or small can only be climbed one step at a time. You must begin your climb from ground with one step, only then would you understand what your second step should be and the next one and the next thereafter. Each step will define and create your next step A cli...

Once upon a time, long time ago; a master and a novice started climbing a hill in the Himalaya for no apparent reason. It was early morning, still pitch dark and freezing cold. Master climbed silently barely making a sound with a placid demeanour belying any efforts in his part while the novice a young teenager struggled with a mind full of questions. Here is the story -   Why do we climb – novice asked Just breathe – master answered Why are we climbing in the dark Just breathe I can’t see anything Just breathe I am cold and tired Just breathe I can’t climb anymore Just breathe How far is the top Just breathe I want to stop Just breathe And then soon enough the sun begins to rise painting the azure in shades of gold and orange and mauve. The novice stood speechless at the spectacular play of light and shades upon the snow covered peaks that lay before him like endless chain of white pyramids. He had never seen anything as majestic o...

People say I have an exciting life and wish to know how they too can have such levels of excitement so here’s my post for all of you; mantra for an exciting life full of excitement and adrenaline rush. What exactly is excitement; what is it to be exciting? Dictionary tells us that excitement is a feeling of arousal, a feeling of lively and cheerful joy, state of being emotionally aroused, something that agitates and arouses some kind of headiness within our minds. Therefore anything, any activity that we indulge in that produces such effects is an exciting pursuit. Is life per se exciting, is merely existing an exciting way of living? Or do we need to stir the pot once in a while to make it exciting? Can anyone have constant excitement of existence, like living in a high every moment 24X7 for your entire life till your last day! We all know that ‘change’ is the only constant in the universal laws of this world. From low entropy to higher entropy that determines the...

If you are looking for your ideal lover, look no further than the nearest high mountain or sheer rock face or an impeccable ice line. Upon such crazy landscapes will you find the one that can make you dizzy, whether you climb with them, upon them or within them. Climbers climb; what more can you ask for! So climb on and see you on top! The following has no order of priority and have been strictly used in generic sense related to climbing; what kind; depends upon your mental disposition. For me it is all about climbing, from one summit to another. They really like to climb They have good endurance They like to see you on top They have good grip and balance They are not afraid to fall They like new routes to the summit They need bare minimum They know how to survive extreme situations They have all the necessary equipment They like being high They climb one step at a time They seldom give up They can go for long without slee...

I normally refrain from writing about Everest simply because Everest has already been written about at least a million times by literally every Tom, Dick and Harry and their equivalent women brigade. I wrote one post last year after the incident where 16 Sherpas died (including few of my close friends); and again this year nature has struck leaving many dead, injured and dejected, disoriented and disproportionately satiated. As speculations are flying at the speed of light in volumes defying rational readability, I felt an unbiased to the point practical look is again necessary; not only to dismal fears and ignorance but also to put forth objectively what many fail to understand in totality. I know this prelude sounds confusing, but then it is just play of words. Here follows the hard facts and figures along with hard line thoughts without apologies to none. I took this picture of Everest BC few days before it was all demolished Let’s face it, whether you like it or not, Eve...

Note – this is a true story, a short one, verbatim as it happened. Yet the central character of this story, if she is still alive, will never read it. Do tell her of it and that I remember her, if you chance upon her someday. Therefore I retain her real description; I will never look for her but you may. Here is the story: I was walking along the sunset kissed windswept boulevard of Punta Arenas balancing my camera trying to find a spot close to the sea where a magnificent sun in all its radiance was slowly inching towards the blue horizon of Magellan Strait. Finis Terra as it is often called, or end of the known world, Punta Arenas is the southernmost point of Chile after which only the ocean remains before striking the frozen Antarctica shores. I had been in this tiny picturesque town many times before and hence. On that day I was chasing the sun for a shot when I walked past a girl sitting on the grass, apparently gazing rapturously at the same sun that I wished to capt...

  Life is a Fairy Tale Last night I was watching ‘Tangled’. I often watch fairy tales or animated film, those that are captivating not only in their imagery but also in what they teach us. Take for instance Shrek series or Despicable Me, Up or Lion King, Snow white, etc etc. I am yet to see or read one fairy tale that doesn’t have something bad or evil happening. Often someone dies too in such movies and stories. Yet we read these books and watch these movies happily, smiling along with our children. Why don’t we despair when something bad happens to the central characters, why don’t we feel sad when someone dies, why do we keep cheerful and let our children watch all the mayhem and evil doings of the villains. For every fairy tale have villains. We don’t despair because we know that it is a fairy tale, where in the end good will triumph over evil and the princess will be rescued by the fair prince, we know that no matter how much the evil forces try, in the end the g...

Marital Bliss I agree I am putting my hands deliberately inside a hornet’s nest but then someone has to, especially someone like me who is totally unbiased, have equal number of married and single friends and I don’t really see one as better than the other in anyway whatsoever. It all comes down to individual choices after all. Some of us learn the hard way that we might have made a wrong choice while some just never learn or realize so they either stay single for their entire lives or they keep getting married again and again. No wonder human are fundamentally masochistic. This is a fun post so take it as one since life itself is fun with all the intended pun. I am not a marriage counsellor and certainly not a ‘single’ advocate. But I can tell you a lot about both the statehoods, since I observe keenly. And yes, for those who do not know me, I am very much single and intend to stay that way for the rest of my life; yes I haven’t learnt anything and yes I am masochistic as we...

I do everything for love since I exist because of love and I will die one day for love My obituary should read: on the journey of love he kept on climbing There is no love without freedom and no freedom without love I am happy to live as I am happy to die since I love death as I love life No point in living if I do not live for love I cannot make someone love me nor how nor when nor why she chooses that love to be. I can only love fully with my mind body and soul and hope that she will recognise it even if she cannot reciprocate in equal measure or manner Love is the only action that need not have a reaction. Love is complete in itself. I'm grateful that I discovered love because she passed by and does it matter if she never noticed me bloom within that love! I can only make myself worthy of love and wait till someone recognises that It is possible to discover love in one but find it in another. Discovery of love is not always finding love It is not possible ...

I believe only in two things or rather experiences since they both essentially are just that, and everything else evolve out of them: I believe in being alive and being in love; and today on Friday the 13 th , 2015 I would like to share few beliefs about my two experiences. Here is the first one: -  I am and will always be the luckiest person in the world Miracles happen all around me every moment There is no one in the world who hates me or dislikes me or bears any ill towards me Everyone I have met or meet or will be meeting were, are and will be friends. No one is or will ever be a stranger to me I can only live in and for the moment; past is irrevocably gone serving only as meaningful lessons and the future is nothing but another name for hope Life is what it is, and only I can find a purpose or make it meaningful; though sometimes it is best to be purposeless and meaningless; like a sail boat without sails amidst a tempest sea No matter where I am, I a...

Lago Torre, Patagonia Argentina This time around while summing up the year 2014 that just whizzed by I am completely determined to avoid intricate statistics lest it leads to three mainstream reactions among my readers (like it usually does) – one of admiration (I like this one, especially when I get those delicious mails from delicious women); one of envy; and one of utter disbelief (many believe all these travels and climbs of mine are pure fiction and products of my over productive imagination). Suffice it to say that I did not travel much in 2014, barely 10 countries in four continents and crossed the Atlantic only four times and kissed the Pacific shores twice. Climbed very moderately and only till around 7000m. Visited only two places that are rarely visited by human. Air miles covered must be in the region of 100,000 if not more but then this is merely an average human being I suppose. Despite all precautions taken, the year ended with a black tipped nose due to ca...